Crunchy Romaine Salad (with Grilled Chicken)

My mom got me hooked on this salad. She said she got hooked on it from a church fellowship. The original recipe is entitled "Mary Lou's Romaine Salad" so I guess we all have Mary Lou to thank for this! :)


Ingredients:
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 head broccoli, divided into small pieces
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 pkg Ramen noodles, crushed
1/4 C pecans, chopped
Grilled chicken optional (see notes below for marinade)

3 T butter
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C red wine vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce

Directions:

In a large salad bowl, mix chopped romaine lettuce, broccoli and green onions.  For crunchies, slightly brown Ramen noodles & pecans in butter, yum!
I used a large glass measuring cup for the salad dressing: whisk together the sugar, olive oil, vinegar & soy sauce. 

I marinated and grilled chicken to toss on top of the salad. I put 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag & drizzled them with olive oil. I seasoned them with garlic powder, garlic salt, pepper, a little lemon juice, dijon mustard & soy sauce. Let them marinate for at least 30 minutes. Grill the chicken and cut into chunks. Toss onto the salad and then pour the salad dressing recipe above over it all.  It's divine! Thanks Mary Lou! :)

Sausage, Pepperoni & Pasta Casserole

Confession. I got this recipe off an episode of "Sandra's Money Saving Meals!" :} But I tweaked it slightly and it was a hit with the fam, so I want to remember how I made it!

Ingredients:
Box of Pasta (rotini, or your favorite kind)
1 small onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 squash, diced
1 pkg sliced pepperoni, rough chopped
1 link of beef sausage sliced thin (I kind of cubed mine)
Spaghetti sauce (make your own or jarred)
Shredded italian cheese
Bread crumbs (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees--Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and set aside
2. Cook pasta according to package directions
3. Heat some olive oil in a pan and sauté the diced onion, zucchini & squash (I also added fresh minced garlic to this mix)
4. Cook the veggies until softened and then toss in the chopped pepperoni & sliced sausage
5. Add in tomato sauce (you may or may not use the entire jar...just use your best judgement) You can also sprinkle some of the Italian cheese in and mix it all together.
6. Toss in some of the pasta when it's ready (again, eyeball it, you probably won't need a full box)
7. Pour this entire mixture into the 9x13 pan & sprinkle a little of the bread crumbs over the top & a little more of the Italian cheese
8. Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes until it's a little crispy on top.

Serve this with some Garlic, Butter Toast and/or a side salad (maybe even a Caesar salad)
Enjoy!

Chicken Pesto Pasta

 I forget how easy this dish is and I used to make it all the time! Tara requested it the other day; I made it tonight & thought I'd share this simple yummy (easy) dinner! I apologize if my directions are rambling or don't make sense...this is one recipe where I actually wing it, so it turns out slightly different every time!

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (thawed & cut into chunks)
1 box rotini pasta
1 pkt Knorr Pesto Pasta (unless you prefer to make your own pesto)
olive oil
diced onion, bell pepper
Italian seasoning
s&p
parmesan cheese or Feta! (optional)
olives & roma tomato (optional)

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to box directions, drain & set to the side
2. In a small saucepan make up the Knorr Pesto to mix in later
3. In a large skillet drizzle olive oil & sauté some garlic, & onion/bell pepper finely diced (or cheat like me & buy the kind that's already diced & ready in the freezer section)! Throw in the chicken that you've cut up--I always season my chicken with a little s&p, garlic salt & some Italian seasoning before tossing it in the skillet.
4. Cook chicken until no longer pink in the middle and toss a little of the Pesto sauce over it while it's cooking.
5. When the chicken is done, toss the pasta noodles in the skillet with it & drizzle more of the Pesto over it all.
6. Tonight when I made this I did not have any Roma tomatoes on hand, but in the past I have added diced Roma tomatoes & sliced black olives to this mixture and it is divine!
7. Serve it up and be sure to sprinkle some cheese over the top--my kids like Parmesan on theirs, but if you are a fan of Feta, it is soo good on top of this dish!

Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Sugar Cake

• Found this recipe on Pinterest. It was amazing. Will definitely use this simple sugar cake as the base for future Strawberry Shortcake. But it was also good just by itself sprinkled with powdered sugar as pictured. Definitely a keeper recipe!

• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I used coconut oil)
• 1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 large egg whites
• confectioner's sugar for dusting

Instructions:

1. Cream together shortening and milk for about 3 minutes, (it will look like small curd cottage cheese.) Add in vanilla.
2. in a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add flour, one third at a time to the milk mixture, blending well after each addition.
3. Lastly, add in egg whites, beating just until all combined.
4. Pour batter into a greased and floured (do not use a spray) 10 inch cast iron skillet.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, using a toothpick inserted in the center to test for doneness.
6. Let cool on wire rack for at least 45 minutes before serving, lightly dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Notes

You can also bake this in 10 inch casserole dish or a 10 inch baking pan.

Poppyseed Ham & Cheese Sliders

This recipe is all over Pinterest but it has slight variations here and there...this was my favorite version of this sandwich. So, I'm posting here for easy access! Thanks Amanda for turning me onto these!

Ingredients:

1lb deli ham thinly sliced
1/2 lb baby swiss cheese
2 pkgs dinner rolls (24 count total)
1/2 C butter
2 TBS  prepared mustard (the plain kind like you use on hot dogs)
1 TBS Worcestershire
1 TBS poppy seeds
1/3 C brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven.  Make the sandwiches with rolls, ham & cheese. Fill a 9x13 pan with these (you can squeeze them in).
2.  In a medium sauce pan on the stove bring to a soft boil:  butter, mustard, worcestershire, poppy seeds & brown sugar.
3.  Pour sauce over top of sandwiches
4.  Cover with foil and bake @ 350 for approx 20 minutes

Salad with fruit & feta

I had this salad with a friend the other day...I mean this picture is of the actual salad I got!! I had to take a picture it was so beautiful! I have re-created it at home several times since then, so I needed to post and save the ingredients list. My whole family loves it.

Ingredients: (All ingredients should be fresh!)

Fresh Spinach (add other salad kinds if you like but have to have spinach in there somewhere! ;)
Purple grapes
Pineapple (chunked)
Avocado
Kiwi (sliced)
Pecans
Blackberries
Strawberries (sliced)
Feta Cheese (or some other crumbly kind, I think originally mine was made with goat cheese, but at home I used Feta)

Instructions:
Wash & prep all your fresh fruit, then toss together in a bowl on top of your salad and mix it all up.
I used a Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing...so healthy, fresh & yummy! Perfect for summer or anytime! Could also add chicken, but great without any meat too.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

We had a mom make this at a teacher's luncheon I was in charge of and it was a hit.  I got the recipe finally to make today.  Yummy!

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup (170g) wild rice
• ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
• 1 onions, chopped
• 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 large stalks celery, chopped
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ¾ cup (115g) all-purpose flour
• 8 cups (1.9 liters) chicken stock
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups (300g) cooked chicken, cubed
• 8 oz (225g) mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 1 cup (240 ml) half-and-half
• ½ cup (25g) chopped parsley

Instructions

Cook wild rice in 4 cups (960ml) of water for 45 minutes or until it fluffs up. Drain any remaining liquid left in the pot. Set aside.

In a large pot, add vegetable oil. Sauté onions, carrots, and celery until soften, about 3 minutes. Add dried thyme and all-purpose flour. Cook and stir for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour in chicken stock. Bring to a boil.

Add cooked chicken, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and allow soup to simmer for 10 minutes.

Add cooked wild rice and pour in half-and-half. Bring soup back up to a boil and allow it to heat through, about 5 minutes.

Turn off heat. Stir in chopped parsley.